1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to portable communication devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to user control of the operation of portable communication devices.
2. Description of Related Art
Wireless communication devices have become a ubiquitous fixture in society. Owing to their portability wireless communication devices such as cellular telephones are commonly carried by their owners throughout the day as they move from location to location. People tend to leave there cellular telephones on all the time so as not to miss incoming telephone calls, in spite of the fact that at times they are in locations, or social situations, that are not appropriate for receiving telephone calls. For example, calls may be received during important meetings in which the user does not want to be distracted, or while the user is attending a performance where the ringing of the telephone and subsequent conversation would disturb others. At such inopportune times, in order to stop the ringing of the telephone the user must actually reach for the telephone, which might take a few rings if the telephone is somewhere in a coat pocket, or large purse, and then operate a button to mute the ringer, or answer the call. If the user is not very familiar with the telephone or the telephone is difficult to operate, then the user will have to look at the telephone, consuming more time, in order to determine which button sequence to press in order to answer the call or mute the ringer.
What is needed is a method and apparatus that enables a telephone ringer to be muted much more expeditiously to reduce the distraction to the user and others in the vicinity of the user.